In the Daily Mail, there is a story about an experiment where two little girls say they are lost and more than 600 people at a shopping mall walk by them:

Hidden cameras recorded Uma, seven, and Maya, five, who took it in turns to look lost.

Astonishingly, over the whole hour only one person, a grandmother, took a moment to find out if there was a problem. All of the 616 other passers-by completely ignored the girls.

Heartbreakingly for the mother of the sisters – who was watching from a hiding place nearby – passing couples even split apart to walk around either side of the ‘lost’ girls and people wheeling suitcases took evasive action to avoid Maya and Uma, not thinking to check if they needed help.

Who can blame them? The authorities have spent years making it clear that adults, in particular male adults, are suspect –and now they want those same adults to stand up and help kids with no regard for their own welfare:

Experts said the reluctance of the passers-by was partly explained by people being busy, and partly a fear – especially among men – of any help they offer a child being misinterpreted.

But the NSPCC said a child’s welfare was more important than worrying about being labelled a ‘stranger danger’.

A spokesman said: ‘We have got to get a message out to adults that they have a responsibility to protect children and that must supersede any concern you have for other people’s perception of why you are reaching out to help that child.’

Bullshit — responsibility is a two-way street. It’s not just a “perception by people” that men and even women are a danger to kids, it is a reality that men (and some women, but mostly men) are charged with abuse and face real jail time, job loss and separation from their families for sex abuse charges so readily that they have become immune to the cries of kids. Who can blame them? I can’t. Can you?

Well, this doesn't surprise me at all. But what were these people thinking useing two supposedly lost girls, with their mother watching, to find out how many adults would ignore their pleas? That's the real question.

Once, about 30 years ago, I was at the public library, looking for a book. I was standing in the ailse, and this young boy just came out of nowhere and took my hand. What was I supposed to do? I knelt down and asked him where his parents were. He didn't know. So I led him to the librarian and told her, "You've to a lost boy here." She got on the intercom, and the parents showed up. And all ended well.

I couldn't do that today, not in this culture. I'd be accused of being a child predator, a phedophile, or some other sort of deviant. And the accusation is the crime these days. I couldn't lead a lost boy, who came up to me, to the librarian so she could find his parents, without facing serious criminal charges.

This is the world we live in. This is why I say that the problem is with the culture, which revolves around the law. You want to change the culture? Change the law. There can be no meaningful men's rights movement that doeesn't focus on changing the law. Some imaginary male pill isn't going to change anything. Viagra, the male pill, has side effects, which include loss of vision. I was told when I was young that masturbation makes you blind. It's ridiculous. In my 50s, I'm supposed to take some pill that could make me blind just to I can what recover my long-lost youth sex drive? Please.

Lost girls in a mall? That's one hell of an experiment. And it's no wonder that some 600 people ignored them. They couldn't risk the exposure to a lawsuit.

Any single man who approaches a lone and upset child in a public place is a fool. You WILL be accused of attempted abduction, you WILL be accused of pedophilia, you WILL be publicly denounced as a molestor, period. The truth does not matter; men are predatory monsters, and all it takes is the accusation alone (with zero evidence) to ruin your life.

I feel sorry for crying kids, but they're on their own. Too bad society punishes men who try to get involved.

People...or rather men...no longer white knight because there is no reason to do so.

I mean here I am as a man putting myself in danger for a complete stranger...only to get injured or killed or faced with some sort harassment charges...In return that people might..just might say thank you...

You stop and help those children, with no thought to the consequences, the same way you should throw yourself in harms way if you see any children being physically attacked or threatened. If you don't, then don't call yourself a man.

Yeah right. And up walk one of your brothers or sisters in blue, throw a pair of handcuff on me, and even after the truth comes out and dust settles my life is over. Those "offender" lists are WAY to easy to get on and Just about impossible to get off of. This is not even CLOSE to an assault situation.

No, if there is no immediate danger to anyone, you can use your head and figure out what is going on. Maybe point out the lost children to the security guard or store manager, or maybe figure out that the children are not credible and you are being filmed for someone else's purposes.

Your "hothead" approach has gotten a lot of men in a lot of trouble. For instance when they attack the wrong guy - who they thought was the guy having an affair with their wife.

Otherwise, I really get sick of the "real men" posting their crap and trying to belittle other men.

I recall an incident where the wife was caught in the act of cheating by her husband. She cried out that she was being raped, the husband killed the boyfriend, thinking he was saving her. I think she got some small amount of prison time when the dust settled.

So, this experiment, predicated on a lie, is expecting men to react exactly how, after 4 or more decades of "BAD MAN!" training?

I would have taken them to find a police officer. In case I did not find one, I would have either called 911 or asked a security guard to call one. If I needed help, I would have asked a normal looking family - mother with children to help.

There is a pecking order on who you can trust, and I would have used it - but never would have walked on.

I have 2 kids myself and only pray someone would do the same in such a situation.

In 2008 WKMG-TV in Orlando, Florida staged a similar study to gauge adults' reactions, though in this case it was an 8–year-old girl who was staying near one of several signs around a mall. The signs labeled her missing and included a clear picture of her matching her actual appearance. Most people walked right by her and did nothing, as with the British experiment we discuss here.

Other forums have discussed real cases in the US—emphasis, the US and not just Britain—in which men have saved unattentive mothers' children from near-certain death or serious injury only to have the mother raise cain, accuse the man of trying something nefarious, and either calling the cops or insisting a lifeguard do so. These instances typically involve saving a child from drowning in pools or at a seashore, and pulling a toddler out of traffic just before a car drove over the spot in the street where the kid had wandered. Mom is chatting on a cell phone or some such while this is going on. But the hero faces arrest and isn't always able to get a cop to believe his side of the story...

I have also been set up for robbery while being a good Samaritan and trying to help others, so this further colors my views. But with the odds of being gravely punished for trying to help a child, my feeling today is this: Your kid's in danger? Not my problem. Sucks to be you. And this is what you get for demonizing men as predators. Too bad.

The robbery/ scam angle is another serious consideration. People have hijacked well intentioned people, and either robbed them, or put them in an apparent compromising position for extortion.

The men-are-rapists-and-child-molesters feminists have given our legal system the same revenue stream. As Mr. Reynolds frequently points out, our legal system isn't well trusted to easily and cheaply look at the facts and make objective decisions - its designed to secure convictions the most efficient way it can, by overwhelming it's targets with the resources and force of the state, usually completely at the discretion of the prosecutor without the impartial oversight of a jury, and with no more than a quick signature from a judge.

Copy left....I appreciate that a single male is under extra suspicion and I agree that he must protect himself....but you said the child is left on his own....THERE IS ANOTHER ANSWER....the man should ask a woman to approach the child....also if there is no woman nearby the man should keep a safe distance and call 9/11 to protect himself and child...and that way if attempted harm does come nearby he could PROTECT THE CHILD....SURELY you would want that kind of help for your family too..NEVER EVER LEAVE A CHILD ALONE AND ABANDONED...NEVER....call 911 and wait..you will never have to wonder what happened to that child if you set yourself as a " cautious for your own protection" protector

Men shouldn't have to pretend that they should find an obvious non-child molester. Men shouldn't have to tolerate the blatant prejudice. Either I can approach the child (not likely in today's legal climate), or someone else can bear the responsibility for ostracizing men.

First, it's insulting that women commit any less child abuse or child sexual abuse than men do. Second, it buys into the presumption that men are dishonorable, incapable of self control, and validates it.

I'm all for letting women pick up the slack and bear the extra risk. If I can point it out to her for her to take action, she can be expected to be aware of the situation as well. I'm sick of picking up the slack for women - they've vilified me and my gender long enough, and they can deal with the mess they've made on their own. Fish, bicycle, all that.

I am extremely aware of lost children .....as soon as I see they are in care of parent...fine....but I have stopped little ones from running into mall parking lot in dark at night...helped others in malls..and very careful that person taking them is their parent...they have to pass the is this your parent test...Yes it is my Dad or Mom....when in doubt.....ASK IF THEY NEED HELP......I regret not asking two teens in a car that question when the driver unexpectedly pulled in front of me...GET LICENSE NUMBERS....LOOK OUT FOR CHILDREN.....TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WOULD WANT THEM TO TREAT YOU OR YOUR FAMILY...but I would be extra cautious as a man...Don't touch child..even women...best to tell child you will get them help and stay with them while you ask another person to get security